“It is far too early for us to appreciate the spirit surrounding
our days on the banks of the Severn. There will be a day
in the future, however, when a full realization of the great
wealth acquired at Severn will be brought home to us.”
– r oll a nd M. Tee l, S e vern S ch ool F ou n de r

(above) Dormitory students circa 1934. (right) The entire sophomore class of 1937:
Burdette Wright ’39, George Klauer ’39, Harry Gaver ’39 and Charles Besoré ’39.
(below) “The Severn River affords opportunities for such forms of recreation as
swimming, canoeing, and skating. On Saturday afternoons those students who
are in good standing as regards conduct and effort are granted permission to go
to Annapolis to witness the sports of the Naval Academy, where there is carried
on perhaps the broadest athletic program to be found at any institution in the
country. Such students may also be granted permission to go to the ‘movies’ for
the afternoon or early evening performance. Lectures and musicals are from time
to time held on Sunday evenings, during what is known as the Sunday Evening
Forum. Three school dances are given by the student body during the year.”
– excerpted from the Severn School catalog of the 1930s

(left) Albert K. Hawkins as he appeared shortly
after the start of his long career at Severn. He
taught one year at the U.S. Naval Academy
Prep School in Annapolis before coming
to Severna Park in 1914 as Mr. Teel’s
first faculty member and administrative
assistant. Second Headmaster from
1955–1957, he was described by Mr.
Teel as a “wonderful person … a jewel
beyond words.” Hawkins was a board
member and part-time faculty member
until just a few months before his death
in 1959.
(right) The first cheerleading squad formed
at Severn in 1931. It would last for 50 years.

Robert Pippin (in
back row with glasses),
who taught foreign
languages, organized
the first ever Severn
‘orchestra’ in 1931.
“Although the orchestra
did not play for any
special events, a great
deal of enjoyment
was derived by the
members and by the
students from frequent
‘get-togethers,’” reported
the 1931 Anchor and
Wheel.

1914-1938: The Early Years

15

40

Celebrating A Century

Chapter three

1956-1975
The Tumultuous Years: The
Times They Are a-Changin’
“It is our earnest hope that a student’s years at Severn bring him
the firm conviction that one cannot get something for nothing,
that what is worth having is worth working for, that freedom to
be maintained must be cherished and its price paid, that things of
lasting value carry a high price tag and that material rewards are
not the only ones worth striving for.” – R o l l a n d M . T e e l

D

The 1970s brought girls to
campus for the first time in the
school’s nearly 60-year history.

e p re ssio n an d war had brought Americans together
in an understanding of our mutual dependence – the idea
that we succeeded or failed together. But the 1960s and 1970s
nearly tore us apart. Etched in collective memory from those
tumultuous times: the murders of JFK and MLK. A terrible struggle for civil rights
and an anti-war movement that sparked riots across the land. Medicare. A Space
Race. A War on Poverty and a wrenchingly divisive war in Vietnam. The draft.
The pill. LSD. Sexual revolution. Hippies. Women’s lib. It was a time when old
and young grew their hair long, turned on and tuned out. There was Kent State.
The Berlin Wall. Folk music. Folk rock. And rock ’n roll. The Red threat. Black
Panthers. Beatles, Bond, the Stones and a boatload of other Brits. A boozy, woozy
Woodstock ended the decade while a magical moon landing brought the entire
nation to its feet to celebrate. By the 1970s, many of those “radical” 60s ideas went
mainstream, deep recession set in and a disgraced president resigned.
Yet, as kids, we were mostly oblivious to the upheaval. Cities smoldered
while we attended to that most important business of growing up, finding our own
frequency, with school and family the epicenters of our universe. We still covered
our books in brown paper and did our homework because we were going to college.
Adults made the rules and enforced them. On non-school days, especially when it
was hot (home air-conditioning was rare), we played outside all day – dodgeball,
war, baseball, something. We wore no helmets or seatbelts; we rode with no hands.
We came home for dinner, likely to sit down with family. Most of these years, the
country was still fairly prosperous so a family could live pretty comfortably on one
income (about $4,700 in the 60s, $7,600 in the 70s) and vacation once a year.
Most moms stayed at home. With just three channels on TV, we read more. And
virtually everybody smoked. But no one sued much then, perhaps because parents
taught personal responsibility, hard work, honesty and respect – values reinforced
at school. Would these values stand the test of time?
1956-1975: The Tumultuous Years

41

“In the classroom, most of my teachers explained things very
clearly and expected us to pay attention and learn. When I went
away to college, I realize I didn’t have to worry about academics
because I was so well prepared.” – J oc k H o p k i ns ’ 6 3

Buddy Beardmore was another sports standout. A
post-grad in 1957–58, he won the Slanker Trophy for most
valuable football player and was named All-American first
team in lacrosse at the University of Maryland. During his
four years coaching at Severn (1963–1966), he built the
Admirals into a championship MSA team. He was known as
a great coach and respected by all, although some of his boys thought he was
pretty hard on them. One had this story to tell: “Early in the season, he had us
doing two practices a day. For the game with Annapolis High, he told us to report
for practice at 7 a.m. We practiced until 11. When we came back at 12:30, he
sent us on the Round Bay tour, two miles up Askewton Hill and back. When we
got back from that, he sent us out to warm up for the game at 2 pm. The strategy
worked: we beat Annapolis that day 18–2.”
52

Celebrating A Century

The 1965 MSA
Lacrosse Champions.
Coach Buddy
Beardmore ’58 is
in the center of the
second row of the
team photo.

Rolland Teel, with his ubiquitous pipe, in 1956.

In 1965, intramurals began for boarding and day students in football,
volleyball and basketball. …In 1966, Severn hoopsters took the MSA championship
under Coach Richard Webster. Standouts included Bob Freeman ’66, Dave Cloud
’68, Dan McGarry ’66, Bob Peck ’66, Mike Frimenko ’66 and Mike Busch ’66.
The decade will always be remembered for its two MSA championship
lacrosse teams: Under Coach
Buddy Beardmore ’58, the
1965 squad lost just one
game and beat out Boys’ Latin
for Severn’s first state title
since 1929. The 1968 team
under Coach Lee Curry ’57
went undefeated, outscoring
opponents 146–64 over the
season. One writer called it
“the best team ever to come
out of the county.”

Headmaster Kesmodel launched a
new tradition: the Alumni-Varsity
lacrosse match – highlight of PatronsAlumni Day. In 1964, the game ended
in a tie. For the second year in a row,
the young men of the varsity failed to
beat the old men of the varsity past.

1956-1975: The Tumultuous Years

53

“Students go to college to learn – what? Mathematics and science
and languages and literature and history, of course. But what they
are really learning is how to live as happy, constructive, respected
members of society.” – R o l l a n d M . T e e l

A time of challenge and promise

Like the United States throughout much of the 1970s, Severn struggled, still
on rocky ground. Money was short. The campus was in a sorry state. When it
rained, doors were laid everywhere to walk on, and the soggy fields were dubbed a
“rice paddy” for the “swimming pools” that formed in the middle. Girls didn’t even
have a full field. Teel Hall was not only covered with ivy, the stuff grew through
the walls in spots. But mostly kids didn’t see the shortcomings or care if they did.
Puddles were “cool – not like your usual school,” someone remembered fondly.
And when funds ran low, parents helped out, cutting grass and donating paint so
teachers could paint the buildings in summer. “We all knew we were getting a great
education,” an alum recalled, “so what difference did a little disarray make?”

BY THIS POINT IN OUR HISTORY, ACHIEVEMENTS NOT
ONLY ABOUNDED – as they had for decades – but were far more

thoroughly documented.
Thus, we know more about more people. To make individuals easier to
find and follow, we’ve created categories that showcase academic allstars; outstanding actors, artists, performers, speakers and writers; and
students in service to their community. The point is pretty clear, we hope
you agree: All these incredible achievements show that Severn students
are a well-rounded, talented bunch.
Academic Excellence 1994-2000 Julie Ayers ’92 and Amy

Cha ’94 were named Teens of the Week by the Capital Gazette for
academic excellence. h Blake Nolan ’95 was recognized for excellence
in science. h Marshall Perrin ’97 earned the highest score possible
on the SATs – 1,600 – and graduated a year early with the highest
cumulative ever recorded here, then headed to MIT. Perrin eventually
earned a doctorate in astrophysics from UC Berkeley. h Elizabeth Edsall
’96 was a semifinalist in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search for her
work “Lungspeak.” h Severn placed first in Maryland for the second year
running in the TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and
Science) competition at Johns Hopkins University in 1996. The champs:
Timor Chirikov ’97, Neha Kharod ’96, Matt Kim ’99, Ankur
Mundra ’97, Erik Olsen ’96, Alex Reynolds ’98 and Josh
Sims ’96. h Josh Chisholm ’98 and Danielle Alarcon
’99 took top honors in the National French Exam and
Marshall Perrin ’97 won the National Latin exam.
h Christina Rhynalds ’97 won the prestigious
Japan-U.S. Senate scholarship and the Xerox
Corporation Award in the Humanities/Social
Sciences.

(right) In 1997,
Severn students
teamed up with
USNA midshipmen
to compete in FIRST.
The challenge: Build
a functioning robot.
The next year, at the
Robotics competition
at Rutgers, the team
won Rookie of the Year
and the Featherweight
Final with their robot,
Das Goat. Led by
faculty advisor Jeff
Hardy, FIRST Team
members included Alex
Reynolds ’98, John
Chisolm ’98, Joe Ned
’99, Matt Mason ’99,
Michelle Rhynalds ’99
and Matt Westhoff ’99

The new varsity cross-country team started play under
Coach Jeff Hardy, with only one runner having completed
a cross-country race of 3.1 miles. h Seniors toppled juniors
in the 1995 Powder Puff playoff – a relief. h Kate Graw ’96
finished her Severn career having won 12 varsity letters in three
sports and numerous county and state honors. h International
Measurement Sailing (IMS) Class sailor Ian Gordon ’96
won three world cups and one world championship. h John
Linsao ’96 won the first Daniel F. Robinson Player’s Award
for varsity swimming, presented in memory of Dan Robinson
’90. h The 1996 girls’ lacrosse team brought the league
championship banner to Memorial Gym. h Charles Toomey
IV, a two-time All-American goalie named to Who’s Who of
American Colleges, became head lacrosse coach in 1996. h The young 1996 boys’
basketball team celebrated a 15-game winning streak. h The 1997 girls’ varsity
lacrosse team celebrated another winning season under Coaches Sotiropoulos and
Bensinger, capturing the AIS Sinclair Division title. Among the many standouts
– senior captains Amy Galebach ’97, Jessie Popham ’97 and Gussie Habeck ’97.
The 1997 fall sports’ season got off to a great start with varsity field hockey team
making it to the semi-finals of the ASI tourney; Dennard Melton ’98 breaking the
county's touchdown record with 64 six-pointers; varsity boys’ soccer scoring a nearperfect season, with Coach Marc Osterberger named Anne Arundel County Coach
of the Year. h Varsity girls’ soccer winning its first B Conference championship,
with Coach Edwards named Coach of the Year and Carol Prickett ’98 among those
leading the charge. Also a diving phenom, Prickett was undefeated in two seasons.
Jamie McNealey ’87 taught history in the Upper School and was
head coach of boys’ varsity lacrosse from 1999 to 2003. At Johns
Hopkins, he was the 1991 recipient of the Taylor Cook Award for
the senior who’s shown the most value to his team.
My favorite time of the day is 30 minutes after the
regular school day ends. That’s when I look around and
truly appreciate what makes Severn stand apart. Many
teachers are spending extra time helping students
with difficult lessons; others are putting in extra hours
coaching. Still others are taking the time to talk with
students, getting to know them on a level that’s beyond
the classroom and the playing field.
– Written in 2001

1994-2014: The Renaissance Years

119

AROUND SEVERN

(continued)

2013 marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President
John F. Kennedy and the iconic “Dream” March on Washington; the
unspeakable massacre of children in Newtown, Connecticut; a new pope;
the first government shutdown in 17 years; the death of Nelson Mandela;
and the end of iconic TV series Breaking Bad. Kevin Spacey's unique
series House of Cards began, redefining the way television is being made
and watched, that is, online and on-demand. Mick Jagger turned 70
and Bruce Springsteen hit 63. Detroit declared bankruptcy – the first
major city to do so. Same-sex marriage was made legal in some states,
including Maryland. Obamacare officially got underway. Edward Snowden
revealed all. And the oft-maligned Millennials turned out to be really big
charitable givers according to a Pew Research Center study (July 2010).
This was the year the school’s Outdoor Learning Center opened: The
James M. Stine Environmental Center, a 3-acre plot behind the Teel
Campus academic buildings that runs along the Severn River, was
opened to students and faculty for classes, hikes, study and reflection.
The center was created in loving memory of James Stine, who used to
fish these banks with his father.
For many years, trees obscured
the view of the river from this part
of the campus. The blockage was
intentional. Decades before –
actually just a few years after the
school opened – two young men
took canoes out on the river, capsized and drowned. So
devastated was Mr. Teel that he had these trees planted so
he would not be constantly reminded of the tragedy.
The Century of Service Monument was dedicated to honor
the more than 1,500 Severn alumni who have served their
country in the military. The monument features a brick wall
adorned with panels with more than 1,500 rivets, visually
representing the scores of Severn alumni who bravely and
selflessly served in defense of our nation. The names of
these men and women will continuously scroll on a display
panel integrated into the wall. The absence of a rivet
A student inspects the Century of
represents a graduate who made the ultimate sacrifice and
Service Monument.
died defending this country. In total, 84 Severn alumni gave
their lives for our freedom. Severn’s three Medal of Honor recipients will be represented by a star:
Herbert Schonland ’20, Bruce McCandless ’28, and George Street III ’33. The other significant
element of the monument is a 1,000 pound ship’s anchor. “The anchor is symbolic of Severn’s
history and commitment to military service,” noted Mr. Lagarde. “Our school seal features a ship’s
wheel, an anchor, and a chain.” The anchor, which is estimated to be 100 years old, rests upon a
raised platform adjacent to the commemorative wall.
Parent volunteers deserve an enormous amount of credit for the time, talent and treasure they
provide this school. From making box lunches and holiday arrangements to selling food during the
games, working in the library or at the book fair, or hosting a golf outing, the many thousands of
dollars they donate and raise, and the generous help they provide - more than a thousand hours –
enriches us all. Thanks, parent volunteers!
138

Celebrating A Century

A tiered outdoor classroom, part of the
James M. Stine Environmental Center.

It was also the year of a sea change in learning as the iPad came to
every teacher and every Upper and Middle School student, providing
instant online access to books, maps, articles and databases – whatever
a student needs during class – and transforming teaching and learning.
This year Severn lost its beloved Latin teacher and coach Doc Heslin to
a tragic accident. He was here for 28 years and, in all that time, despite
terrible health problems, he never, ever complained. He always showed
up with a smile on his face, always positive,
always feeling he was the luckiest guy in
the world to be teaching and coaching here.
Losing Doc left a painful scar.
The David Astle Memorial Lecture speaker
was Kyle Maynard, a remarkable young
man born without feet or hands who set
athletic records in school, scaled Mount
Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics
and travels the country as an inspirational
speaker. h Dan Gvozden, fine arts teacher,
Tom ‘Doc’ Heslin.
used his Millard Faculty Travel Grant for
a trip to the Republic of Serbia to gather experiences he shared with
students. h Students presented the lively Severn Steps: A Tribute to
Severn’s Centennial with guest artist John Royen ’73 playing live jazz. h

Upper School students created portraits for disadvantaged kids who
rarely have keepsakes of their own through the international Memory
Project (something they've done for four years). h “Davy Jones and the
Sailors of Funk” (Severn’s own band and a Battle of the Bands winner)
brought down the collective house at the annual Admirals Parents’
Association (APA) auction.
1994-2014: The Renaissance Years